can someone explain this to me???

[Bushbasher]

Both my AU wagon and now the Fairlane Sportsman that I just bought were both "city" cars when I bought them and both had their headlights adjusted so badly as to be of negligable functionality. The lights were adjusted very low, which I can understand I guess, but on both vehicles the lights were adjusted way to the right to the point of lighting up the opposite side of the road only out at 100m or so; the left light adjusted so far that it crossed high beams with the right at about 50m. The net effect of all this is that the left side of the road at 50-60m and beyond is in marginal light at best and the verge or footpath are virtually in the dark.

Was it just coincidence or are there lots of city cars set up like this,or is it possably just a Ford dealer pre delivery thing.... and if so why??... cos it makes no sense to me . IMHO correctly adjusted lights should give an even spread from one side of the road to the other, high beam centre spots going straight up the road with a hint of right "lean" for the drivers side light to light up the opposite side of the road and low beam just below the horazontal so as to not dazzle oncoming traffic. That way you maximise your spread and get the most benifit from your lights.


Bushbasher

[Unco]

maybe they were both involved in front enders and the replacement headlights were never adjusted properly?

i would expect a brand new car to have its headlights adjusted properly, but i've never had a brand new ford.

[Rob's 76 Effy]

I always thought your light were to be more bias to the left as not to blind oncoming traffic, all cars that i have had seem to have more left hand light on low beam anyway

[cycle myth]

I would agree with a not being adjusted after a repair.

I had an EL XR6 repaired from a front ender once - the lights were everywhere - so much so that a taxi in front of me on the way home from the panel beater decided to jump on the brakes to get behind me so he could apply his high beams for a couple of k's (my high beams weren't even on).

I've had around 20 new Fords - all the headlights from new were spot on.

[pauljh74]

Originally Posted by cycle myth

I would agree with a not being adjusted after a repair.

I had an EL XR6 repaired from a front ender once - the lights were everywhere - so much so that a taxi in front of me on the way home from the panel beater decided to jump on the brakes to get behind me so he could apply his high beams for a couple of k's (my high beams weren't even on).

I've had around 20 new Fords - all the headlights from new were spot on.

I get people flashing me presumably for high beams when I'm not using them in my XR6 too. Must be because they are smaller reflectors, people mistake the intensity for high beams. Mine hasn't had a hit up the front and they are the same as when I got it - and I had the alignment checked shortly after I got it too.

[Rodp]

Originally Posted by Explorer_Me

I always thought your light were to be more bias to the left as not to blind oncoming traffic, all cars that i have had seem to have more left hand light on low beam anyway

My Xenons are certainly adjusted that way. Lots of beam spread to the left to the point where it lights up the footpath very nicely and to the right it doesn't protrude much past the centre line.

If you shine the beams at the wall, the left hand side also spreads up a lot higher than the right.

[Powdered Toast Man]

Originally Posted by Explorer_Me

I always thought your light were to be more bias to the left as not to blind oncoming traffic, all cars that i have had seem to have more left hand light on low beam anyway

I'm also pretty sure thats correct.

Every car that I have owned (that had correctly aligned headlights) shines more light to the left than the right under low beam. I'm pretty sure high beam should be an even spread left to right.

[Bushbasher]

Originally Posted by Unco

maybe they were both involved in front enders and the replacement headlights were never adjusted properly?

i would expect a brand new car to have its headlights adjusted properly, but i've never had a brand new ford.

Both vehicles were/are accident free. The wagon started life as a SA govt. fleet car and the Sportsman is a 1 owner company car driven sedately by the wife and serviced it's whole life by the dealer who sold it. Both cars show no evidence of crash damage; panels all line up properly, paint still on and around bolts etc. and both sets of headlights have the little tell tale UV craze of aged polycarbonate when looked at from the right angle suggesting they are probably original.

Originally Posted by Explorer_Me

I always thought your light were to be more bias to the left as not to blind oncoming traffic, all cars that i have had seem to have more left hand light on low beam anyway

All headlights are designes like that. When properly adjusted the lenses are such that they cut horizontally across the beam till they get to the left side then flare upwards at about 45deg. to light up the left verge/footpath and beyond. The right lense is the same only designed to flare up further to the left so at say 50m both "flairs" merge on the left road edge leaving the light spread in front and to the right horizontally at waist height and below thus not dazzling oncoming drivers.

Originally Posted by pauljh74

I get people flashing me presumably for high beams when I'm not using them in my XR6 too. Must be because they are smaller reflectors, people mistake the intensity for high beams. Mine hasn't had a hit up the front and they are the same as when I got it - and I had the alignment checked shortly after I got it too.

Mate, they might be aligned up the road but if you're getting flashed then your lights are too high, look at the back of the lights for the red adjusting knob and wind them down a bit.

Bushbasher

[IDT]

Does it not tell you in your handbook where they are supposed to aim? If my memory serves I don't think they are supposed to be biased at all. No use on country roads having it biased left with roos etc

[Rangas GTP]

My AU also had allignment issues, the orange adjustment nobs had worked themselves loose and a few were also missing. I was told its a common problem with the AU.

[Pinch]

Most cars nearside (passenger) lights do have a bias, so the left will light up a little more to pick up people walking down the side of the road etc. This is not on the offside (drivers) though as it would shine into oncoming drivers' eyes. When you go from right to left hand drive countries in Europe, and you are driving a car thats opposite what it should be (ie you end up driving on the gutter side), in most cases you have to put a little cover on the nearside headlight to remove the bias. Eg, driving a British car in France. Never seen any of the TG lads do it though, but mine have been checked. I even had an Aus delivered German car that was delivered with the cover! Driving from Australia to anywhere where they drive on the right would have been interesting!

My one new Ford (BA) was right on. I adjust my headlights in my garage though with a light pattern measurement out of the Gregory's manual.

For those that never really need them, poorly adjusted lights mean nothing, or just irritatate others. But out on the open road, away from town, no moon and you soon notice quick smart if they are out of alignment - or you are driving a non-XR EF! Standard those lights were HOPELESS. Nothing a set of Light Forces's didn't fix though...

[mrbaxr6t]

sorry guys but I have to chime in here anybody noticed how XR fog lights seem to get "pointed up" so when they drive along with lights on low beam those things burn your retinas thru to the back of your skull guys please check yours, maybe they move over time. My research tells me that fog lights pointed like that are illegal and attract a fine if you get caught.

now thats out the way on my AU XR6, thru hitting speed bumps/potholes the headlight mounts pop out of place making the headlight wobble around up and down quite a PITA. I can't see how such a thing can happen on a BA tho, maybe the mount threads are slipping that aim the reflector when you hit bumps hard ??

[mik]

i was taught to adjust lights on high beam at 2 inches downward deflection at 25 feet, the brightest part of the beam at dead centre not left or right then when lights are dipped they automaticly give the correct amount of light at the correct angle so as to not blind on coming traffic, that was back in the late 70`s i don`t think it would have changed too much, probably best to adjust the lights with half a tank of juice and what ever load is mostly carried in the car if any toolboxes etc, or height will be off, if a headlight aimer is not available, some flat ground and a good wall will do the job.

[Night]

It doesn't need to have had a big impact on the front end to smash the lights, I would say they have had some sort of front end accident that has required new lights and they haven't been adjusted.

As far as know about how the lights should aim, I have always understood they both aim straight ahead, the passenger side should aim fairly level but the drivers should point a bit lower as so not to affect on coming traffic. Every car I have owned has been like this also so I would thought it to be correct. If anything the passenger side could aim slightly to the left to light up the curb a bit more but the drivers should deffinetly point slightly lower than level.

[Mechan1k]

Lights should be aimed straight ahead ... the internal relfector inside the light gives the beam a kick up to the left ... inside a projector (like Rodp's ... there's a sheild with the slight angled cut-out that lifts to the left).

I had a good diagram showing how to adjust them against a wall over distance.

[Bushbasher]

Well it seems that everyones opinion is what common sense tells me is the correct allignment and that's straight up the road. I guess it was just coincidence that both cars were adjusted badly. I've since found out from checking the service record of the 'lane that the left headlight assembly was replaced under warranty so maybe it was just never adjusted properly after fitting. If my wagon had a light replaced as well early in it's life that would explain the similar issues with both I guess although as I said before there's no evidence of crash damage on the wagon, and I've had a close look as I fitted the roobar to it myself so have seen behind the bumper and underneath.

Bushbasher

[rag top]

your wagon may be adjusted to compensate for carrying a load in the back. No load would mean the lights are pointing down. That's how my old AU wagon was. Lights were spot on when it was carrying a big load.

[Bushbasher]

The down wasn't the issue, I can understand having them low for city driving as they aren't as critical in suburbia due to street lighting, it was the extreme adjustment to the right that had me stumped.


Bushbasher

[Night]

Every car I have had has had the drivers side lower than the passenger side and that is even brand new cars, as I said the idea of that is so they're not in oncoming traffics faces even on low beam. I have never had a car where both lights are the same height.

[mik]

Originally Posted by Night

Every car I have had has had the drivers side lower than the passenger side and that is even brand new cars, as I said the idea of that is so they're not in oncoming traffics faces even on low beam. I have never had a car where both lights are the same height.

you will probably find when hop out of the car they will be level.

[Night]

Can promise you they weren't, anyhow you calling me fat